Pink Ticket, Blue Ticket
by Digidestined Dude 15
Summary: Jenrya Lee just can't confess to the adorable, shota-like teenager, Takato Matsuda that he is completely in love with him. Maybe a certain raffle with a prize of a dinner for two will help him. Features Jenkato (Jenrya and Takato), Hiroken (Hirokazu and Kenta), slight RyoRuki (Ryou and Ruki) and even a crack pairing.
1. Chapter 1

**It took me like five months to finish, but it's done! My first Jenkato fanfic is finally complete!**

**I'd just like to say that this story was partially inspired by an episode of the TV show "Debra," but mostly it's my own ideas, hence why it's a Jenkato fanfic. I hope you enjoy!**

**Warning! Shounen-ai ahead! Which means Boy x Boy! You don't like, than don't read. All flaming reviews will be deleted. Also, SUPER Uke-Takato is guaranteed, Seme-Jenrya.**

**-x~X~x-**

The halls of Shinjuku High school were bustling with excitement. The long awaited, grudge-match football game against their rival team from Odaiba High School was less than a week away, and everyone wanted to see their players pummel the opposing team into the field, leaving them in the dust. The two schools had a somewhat-healthy rivalry going on between them, and the students always got worked up whenever two of their sports teams went up against each other.

But the real reason everyone was worked up more than ever was because of a certain raffle that was going on at the same time as the ticket sales for the game.

Two boys were walking along the hallway on their way to their lockers for books, discussing what everyone else in the school was: the upcoming game.

"Oh man, Jen-kun, I can't wait to pummel those little wimps into the ground!" Hirokazu Shiota, one of the two boys, said to the other. Hirokazu just happened to be on the football team, and there were few students more excited about this game than him. He loved the idea of beating the Odaiba team to a bloody pulp, although he's yet to do anything remotely close to that.

Jenrya, the other boy next to Hirokazu laughed at his friend's enthusiasm. "Just make sure you don't get a concussion, like you did last year," he replied.

Hirokazu groaned, his blood suddenly rushing to his face from embarrassment. "I still hate that little bastard, Taichi for tripping me!" he exclaimed. "How the hell wasn't that a foul, coach? HE CLEARLY punched me in the face!"

The two boys were then confronted by their other friend, Ruki Makino, coming from a large crowd that was standing by the stand for tickets for the game. "Is Shiota screaming about that punch Taichi gave him last year again?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

Jenrya nodded. "Yep, he still hates him for it…" he replied. The bluenette then noticed the dozens of teenagers trying to grab their tickets for the game as fast as possible. "Hey, Ruki, what's going on over there? People are never this excited to buy tickets before, even if it was to see a match against Odaiba."

Ruki simply scoffed and held up a pink ticket in one hand, followed by a blue one in the other. "This is why," she answered. "The school is selling so many tickets because of the raffle."

Hirokazu and Jenrya looked at each other, expecting the other to know the other, and then back at Ruki. "Raffle?" they asked together.

Ruki gave an annoyed stare. "Is there an echo in here? Pay attention, dummies! The school is giving away a raffle ticket to everyone that buys a ticket for the game, blue for boys, pink for girls. They draw one ticket for each gender, and the winners go on a blind date at that _really_ expensive restaurant downtown. You know, the one where half the people who go there end up having a heart attack… after seeing the bill."

Hirokazu gasped. "No way! You mean Subarashii Ryorii?" Ruki nodded again. "Awe, sick! I went there once with my family! I nearly fainted when I tasted the food, it was amazing! …And Dad nearly fainted when he saw the bill. Is the school really paying for a dinner date for two at that place?"

Ruki shrugged. "Apparently. You two should get a couple tickets if you wanna go. Who knows? You might get luck-" She was interrupted when Hirokazu ran past her and started fighting his way through the crowd. She sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "Idiot… Oh, Jen, aren't you gonna get one? …Jen?"

Jenrya was too distracted to hear Ruki calling him. He was busy starring at a light-brown haired boy that was walking by, a boy by the name of Takato Matsuda, with a light, pink streak and a goofy grin plastered to his face.

Takato was surprisingly short for his age, hardly growing at all since Elementary and Middle school, being almost a full head shorter than most of the people in his grade. He also had somewhat of a girly look for a seventeen-year old boy. No facial hair, no biceps, nothing. When he first came to high school, a few teachers mistook him for a lost grade-school girl dressed in a boy's uniform. This miniature, girly stature of his made him quite adorable, though, especially to Jenrya.

Jenrya was soon snapped out of his trance when he felt a forceful palm hit him in the back, knocking the wind out of him. After recovering, he looked to his side and saw Ruki standing there with a smug look on her face that practically screamed "You're drooling, stupid."

It was no secret to Hirokazu or Ruki that Jenrya liked Takato – he had since they were in fifth grade together. Jenrya may be one of the toughest people around – given he's captain of the karate club and one of the most popular people at school – but whenever he took one look at that adorable, baby-faced brunette, he couldn't help but get weak-kneed and grin like an idiot.

Takato walked up to the pair, a cheerful smile on his face and a sketch book in his arm. "Hey Ruki, Jen-kun, what's up?" he asked happily.

"Jen's crotch…" Ruki muttered quietly, subtly looking up at the bluenette with her signature 'Ruki-smirk'. Jenrya's face lit up bright red, shooting an angered and embarrassed glare into her eyes.

"What was that, Ruki?" Takato asked. Jenrya sighed in relief, thanking the gods that Takato didn't hear her.

"Sh-She said the raffle," Jenrya stuttered quickly, making sure that he spoke before Ruki had a chance to repeat. Not that she would, that joke was meant for him… he hoped… "The school is having a raffle for a date for two at Subarashii Ryorii, that super expensive place downtown. You buy a ticket to the game, you get a raffle ticket."

Takato smiled. "Oh, that sounds great! I love that place. I'm gonna get in line, you wanna come with me, guys?" he asked. The way his face lit up while he asked that just made Jenrya melt.

"I already got tickets, one for me and the other for Kenta," Ruki stated, holding up the blue and pink tickets in her hands for emphasis. "He paid me to get one for him about an hour ago, so I'm good. But Jen hasn't gotten his yet, huh Jen?" Jenrya knew that she meant well by saying this, but the way she said it made it sound like she was taunting him… it was the same tone she used on a regular basis.

"Uh, yeah, I haven't. I'll come with you, Takato-kun." Jenrya then followed the boy to the back of the crowd of people, waiting for them to buy their tickets and disperse.

When the flood of people finally passed, the two boys stepped up to a small table that held a raffle barrel that held both pink and blue tickets inside, as well as pens and tickets scattered around it. Sitting behind the table was a student by the name of Ryou Akiyama, a senior of the school and captain of the football team. He is often swarmed by girls who are constantly flirting with him for his athletic prowess and position as captain – not to mention that he wasn't half bad looking either – and he flirted back a lot of times as well. He tried flirting with Ruki once… but that ended up with him holding an icepack to his face the rest of the day.

"Hey, Ryou-kun, you're running the ticket booth?" Jenrya asked.

Ryou sighed but nodded to agree. "Yep, it's a pain in the ass, but coach made me do it," he replied. "So, you two here to buy tickets too?"

Jenrya nodded back. "One for me, and one for Takato."

Ryou handed Jenrya a pen and a blue ticket. "Tickets are 500 yen each. Just sign your name and phone number on the ticket and drop it in the barrel, and you're all set. The school will call you if you win."

Jen did as he was instructed and filled out the ticket, then pulled the money out of his pocket and handed both to Ryou. The older boy tore off a small stub from the ticket and handed it to Jenrya, and then dropped the ticket in the barrel soon after.

"Alright, you're officially entered. Just keep that stub with you when you come to the game, although I doubt you'll even come. Most of the people buying tickets are only in it for the dinner." All three boys couldn't help but laugh.

Takato stepped up beside Jenrya. "Ok, my turn."

Suddenly, a loud bell rang across the entire school, indicating that classes were about to start. Jenrya gasped at the time.

"Sorry Takato, I gotta go," he said, taking a bow. "If I'm late for Computer Science again, Tsumaru-sensei's gonna kill me."

Takato smiled. "No problem. My Art class is right down the hall, so I have plenty of time. I'll see you after school with the others in the park, ok?"

Jenrya nodded and ran as fast as he could through the halls, desperate to get to class on time. On his way, he realized that he forgot to tell Takato that the boys are supposed to write on the blue tickets, and the girls the pink. He was about to turn around, but he shrugged it off, figuring Takato had enough common sense to figure out the colors of the tickets, without the need of an explanation.

Takato returned to the table and picked up a ticket. "So all I have to do is pay 500 yen and sign my name and number on this, right?" he asked.

Ryou was about to reply 'yes', but he smirked when he realized the ticket Takato was holding. "Yeah…" he said in a long, dragged out voice. "That's it. Just do that, and your good." The older boy let out a small chuckle as he watched the boy fill out the ticket and then hand it and the money to him. Takato then received the stub from the ticket he signed and walked off to class, leaving Ryou alone to chuckle, which built up into a roaring laugh, so loud it made him clutch his sides in pain.

"Good luck… Takato-chan…" he said with one final chuckle, before dropping the boy's ticket into the barrel.


	2. Chapter 2

The final bell had rung, and Jenrya couldn't be any happier. Not only was he sick of sitting in a hard chair for an hour and a half, typing random programming into the laptop in front of him – and he was almost certain that he knew more than the teacher when he came to this kind of stuff – but now he got to leave, get some fresh air and hang out in the park with Takato. It was a win-win-win situation for the young bluenette.

He raced as fast as he could through the halls, narrowly avoiding the other students, as he made his way to the exit of the school, and then across the street to the public playground that lay there. He saw that everyone else was already there. Takato and Juri were sitting on the swings, talking about whatever, Kenta and Hirokazu were playing Digimon, and Ryou and Ruki were just leaning against a tree, relaxing in the shade.

Jenrya, Takato and their friends often hung out there at the park after school. They would just stand around, talking or play the popular card game "Digimon." Ruki and Ryou were the best out of the group, however, and that often infuriated Hirokazu out of jealousy.

Ruki stood upright from the tree she was leaning against. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "What the hell took you so long, Jen?"

Jenrya scratched the back of his head nervously. No one liked keeping Ruki waiting, because she had fuse so short that lighting the entire bomb instead would take less time. "Sorry Ruki, Tsumaru-sensei made me reprogram his laptop and take all the bugs out of it… again…" he replied.

Ruki huffed, but then grinned. "Lucky for you, I'm in a good mood. Every guy on the football team asked me if I'd join the cheerleaders and root for them at the game, even calling me 'Ruki-chan'…" she said with a content look on her face.

Ryou just starred at the redhead with a confused look on his face. "…I thought you hate all that 'girly crap' as you so eloquently put it. And don't you hate people using '-chan' with your name?"

Ruki's grin changed to a full-on smirk. "I do… I'm happy 'cause I kicked every one of them in the balls, and they all dropped to their knees and cried like little girls." She leaned back against her tree and rested her hands behind her head. "Ah… I love the sound of boys whimpering and balls crushing, it's the most pleasant sound in the world…" she gave a content sigh.

"SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!" Hirokazu suddenly screamed, grabbing everyone's attention. He and Kenta were sitting on the ground, playing Digimon, all the while, Hirokazu had a bag of ice on the front of his pants. "I wasn't there to ask you to join the cheerleaders, I went to stop them! So why'd you have to kick me in the balls, too?!"

"For the same reason we all play digimon: Because I enjoy it," she answered bluntly. Hirokazu growled under his teeth, but returned to his game when Kenta tapped him on the shoulder.

"I hope this doesn't affect the game, or else everyone else at school is gonna be just as pissed as me…" he mumbled.

"Come on, Hiro-chan, calm down," the greenette said in a soothing tone. "You know if Ruki went full force on you, you'd be in the hospital right now, she held back a lot if all you need is an ice pack." Kenta then crawled across the ground and gave the aching boy a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Hirokazu smiled lightly, letting a small blush escape his cheeks. "Thanks, Kenta-chan…"

It was no secret that Hirokazu and Kenta loved each other deeply. They'd been friends practically since they were born, and it was only a few months ago that they got together officially. Everyone knew the story…

_Back around when the school year had just started, they were sitting on a bench in this very park, going through their cards in hopes of finally beating Ruki in a match, as they had convinced her to play with them again._

_Hirokazu held up his cards with a confident grin plastered on his face. "I can't wait to wipe that everlasting smirk off Ruki's face when she sees my new combo!" he said, excitedly, adding in a small chuckle. "She'll never expect my Andromon to digivolve into his Mega form, HiAndromon, especially since she doesn't even know I just got the card yesterday!"_

_Kenta laughed. "I know, I was there when you got it. My ears are still ringing from when you opened that pack and screamed 'NO FREAKIN' WAY,' ha ha," he replied, jokingly cleaning his ear with his pinkie finger. "And hey, if you don't beat her, I'll make sure to crush her with MarineAngemon!"_

"_Don't get cocky, Kenta, you can't even beat me so you have no chance against Ruki." Hirokazu smirked._

_Kenta smirked back. "Is that so?" he asked in a sarcastic tone. "Then you wouldn't mind proving it to me in a game against me right now. Winner gets to face Ruki first?" _

"_Oh, you're on! Get ready to lose, Kenta!"_

"_Lose what, his virginity? I thought he lost that to you already, Shiota," a snide voice spoke to the boys._

_Hirokazu and Kenta looked in the direction the voice was coming from, and instantly scowled. Standing before the two was a boy who was known as the biggest homophobe in school, with an ego to match. His name was Hayate Kirai, a tall, muscular and somewhat attractive male with short, brown hair, similar to Ryou's, and center for the boys' basketball team. What separated him from the other homophobes in school was that the others simply mocked and teased gay people, while he often got physical with them, often leaving them with a black eye or bloody lip._

"_What do you want, Kirai?" Hirokazu asked, his tone making it obvious he didn't want Hayate around because of his reputation and all the gay jokes the two already endure on a regular basis._

_Hayate smirked. "Not what you want, if that's what you mean, because I certainly don't want your little boyfriend here in bed with me," he replied. "Speaking of which, shouldn't you two be in a locker room somewhere spying on innocent and unsuspecting guys?"_

_Kenta let out a soft pout, letting the hands holding his cards drop to his lap. He and Hirokazu were the targets of many gay jokes around school because of how close they were, and, while the latter could easily shrug it off and ignore it, it hurt Kenta a lot more. Hirokazu hated seeing his friends upset, Kenta especially, and it made him want to explode just looking at his best friend's saddened face._

_Hirokazu glared daggers at Hayate. "Look buddy, we never did anything to you, so just get lost and leave us alone!" he said assertively, getting himself ready to jump up and punch the bully in the face if need be._

_Hayate mockingly waved his hands in front of his chest in a defensive position. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I get you angry?" he asked in a tone that made Hirokazu want to knock his teeth in. Hayate smirked as he glanced over at an upset and distracted Kenta. "Then, how about if I did… this!"_

_In the blink of an eye, Hayate managed to grab Kenta by his shirt collar and pull him into the air, with his feet dangling above the ground, where all of his cards now laid scattered. The greenette tried desperately to break free from his grip, but found it difficult, as was his ability to breathe. "H-Hiro…ka-zu…" he whimpered out in a suffocated voice. His face was beginning to get flushed from the lack of oxygen getting into his lungs, and his eyes were trapped shut._

_Hayate smirked, holding the greenette a few inches away from his face. "What are you gonna do about it, Shiota? Are you gonna try sucking my co-UGH!" The taller brunette was cut off when Hirokazu's fist made hard contact with his cheek, sending him flying all the way into a tree that was roughly ten feet away from the bench, making him drop Kenta to the ground._

_Immediately afterwards, Hirokazu dashed after the boy and slammed his hand against the boy's neck and held him up against the tree, cutting off his supply of oxygen. Hayate glanced into Hirokazu's eyes, and almost flinched when he saw that they were filled with a burning anger and hatred directed squarely at him. "I'm gonna give you to the count of ten for you to get your ass outta here and _never_ come near me or Kenta again," he muttered in a ferociously serious tone, making it clear that he was downright pissed at Hayate. "I could beat the crap outta you right now, easily, without even giving it a second thought, but that may scar Kenta for life... However, if you're not outta my sight by the time I get to 'ten', then I don't give a damn what Kenta sees, I'll beat you to a bloody pulp! No one messes with Kenta and gets away with it with their teeth in tact! You hear me?!" _

_Hirokazu threw the boy to the ground, allowing him only a second to breathe. Once the word "One" was uttered, Hayate took off running as fast as he possibly could. Ordinarily, Hirokazu wouldn't be much of a problem for him to take out, but in the state he was in now, Hayate probably would have been placed in intensive care by the end of it, at the very least, while Hirokazu would only have a few scratches on him._

_Hirokazu watched Hayate desperately take off with his tail between his legs until he was completely out of sight, in record time. After the jerk was long gone, Hirokazu ran to Kenta's side and helped him regain his breath. _

"_Kenta, are you ok?" he asked._

_Kenta coughed a few more times and then looked into the boy's eyes. "Thanks… a lot… Hirokazu…" he choked out, still breathing heavily. He took one more deep breath and smiled weakly. "Thanks for saving me Hirokazu, I meant a lot to me, what you said…" he said, a small blush creeping up on his face._

_Looking into Kenta's eyes, Hirokazu couldn't help but notice just how wonderful they looked. They were as deep and inviting as they were beautiful and luxurious. And his eyes soon drifted down to his soft, succulent lips. They were the kind that made anyone think "Is he a good kisser?" In fact, Hirokazu could actually feel himself being pulled closer to Kenta, the latter being well aware of that, feeling his face growing hotter. "Kenta… a-are you thinking what… I'm thinking?"_

_Kenta nodded. "I… think so…" he whispered back, leaning back and moving his hands behind him, onto the ground for balance._

_Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Hirokazu's lips placed themselves atop Kenta's. Their lips crashed against one another, longingly, as if it were something they'd been waiting their whole lives for. Hirokazu's hand reached around Kenta's head and pulled them closer to each other, while Kenta did the same by swinging his arms around and linking around Hirokazu's neck. Their combined weight and lack of balance forced Hirokazu to fall to the ground back on top of Kenta, but neither party seemed to mind. All they could think about was the pure excitement and delight they were feeling, not to mention the ecstasy. _

_After a minute or so, Hirokazu slowly came up for air and stared down at the boy beneath him. They were both breathing heavily, and their faces were quite flushed, either from embarrassment or from the lack of oxygen. He couldn't believe he just did that – made out with his best friend, his best _guy _friend no less – but at the same time, he never felt happier. It's like there was this one thing missing in his life he could never find, and the moment his lips touched Kenta's, that one thing was found._

"_K-Kenta… did that… did that just happen?"_

_The boy nodded, smiling at him as if to say he was just as joyous about this as Hirokazu was. "Yeah…"_

"_So… does this mean…?"_

"_I think so…"_

_Suddenly, a loud cackle made the boy's nearly jump out of their skin. "Ha ha, I freakin' knew it! Pay up, Akiyama!"_

"_Man! I was so sold those two weren't a thing! There goes my lunch money for the next month…"_

_Kenta gave Hirokazu a pleading look. "Please don't tell me Ryou and Ruki are standing there with smug looks on their faces…"_

"_Oh they aren't… Ruki's got a smug look, Ryou just has a stupid grin…" he said in a somewhat joking tone._

_Ruki held out her hand in front of Ryou. "You heard me, Akiyama, hand it over. 5000 yen and not one yen less, fork it over. And if you even think of kissing my hand again like last time, I swear that I'll rip each tooth out of your mouth, one by one."_

_Ryou grumbled and reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of yen notes, then placing them in Ruki's palm, who gladly accepted them and placed them in her own pocket. "There you go, 5000 yen in full. Now, what about Romeo and Juliet over there?" he asked_

_Ruki smirked and walked slowly over to the boys, reaching behind her._

_Hirokazu flinched. If Ruki was about to attack them for this, there was no way he could defend against it, or intimidate her like he did with Hayate – the girl practically struck fear into Satan himself! "R-Ruki… please, don't do anything you might regret…"_

_Ruki's smirk grew wider. "Oh trust me, I won't regret this…"_

_Kenta gripped fearfully onto Hirokazu's shirt, fearing this might be the last time he ever spoke to him. "Hirokazu, I just want you to know, in case we don't live, I love you!"_

_Hirokazu hugged him back. "I love you too, Kenta! …And I also stole 2000 yen from your wallet the other day!"_

"…_Wait a minute, is that how you paid for those packs? I was saving that money for the new Digimon World game! If Ruki wasn't gonna kill us, I'd strangle you!"_

_Ruki gave the two boys a look of confusion. "Kill you? What the hell are you idiots going on about now?" she asked. Hirokazu and Kenta looked to each other, hoping the other knew how to respond. However, since neither had an answer, they looked back to see Ruki holding up a deck of Digimon cards. "When I said I wasn't gonna do something I'll regret, I meant I wasn't gonna lose to you. Now _THAT'S_ something I would regret."_

_Hirokazu gave Ruki a blank expression. "So… you don't care if Kenta and I like each other?"_

"_Please, I couldn't care less what sex you have in bed – gender or otherwise – the only thing that matters to me is keeping my reputation of being better than you at Digimon. You can have fun in the locker room later, right now, I believe you both challenged me to a game, and it's my duty as the Digimon Queen to pummel you both. Now, are you gonna get your butts off the ground and play me or what?"_

_Hirokazu sighed and smiled in relief. While it may seem to the normal person like Ruki was making fun of them, Hirokazu knew she was actually quite happy for the two of them. She knew they both liked each other, and she was glad they were together now; she just didn't like getting all mushy about it. Ruki was supporting them in the only way she was comfortable with: by being Ruki._

_Kenta smiled, and then smirked evilly at Hirokazu. "Thanks Ruki… but first, I have to strangle Hirokazu for stealing my money…"_

_Hirokazu flinched once more and jumped to his feet, running as fast as he could from Kenta, Ruki and Ryou. _

"_HIRO-CHAN, GET BACK HERE YOUR ADORABLE LITTLE ASS BACK HERE!" Kenta shouted, though mostly in a way that said he was less mad about the money, and more that he was so excited to be able to call him 'Hiro-chan.'_

_After that day, Hirokazu and Kenta were practically inseparable, and it was even rarer than before that you saw one without the other. The two never gave a gave attention to those guys who made fun of them, and anyone that even tried getting near Kenta ended up on the wrong side of Hirokazu's fist_.

"Yes, yes, I held back on Ace over there, just keep quiet about it…" Ruki muttered bitterly, glancing away. Everyone chuckled softly. Ruki stood up from the tree and walked over to Kenta, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a blue ticket stub. "Here, it's that ticket you asked me to buy for you."

Kenta nodded and accepted the ticket. "Thanks, Ruki."

Jenrya looked over at Takato, smiling at the boy, as he often did. "Hey, Takato-kun," he spoke, grabbing the brunette's attention. "You bought your ticket after, right?"

Takato nodded, slightly grinning. "Uh-huh!" he said happily. "I really hope I get to go on that dinner, it'd be amazing to go to Subarashii Ryorii!"

Ryou couldn't help but let out a small snicker, though only Ruki noticed. "What's got you so happy?" she asked, giving him a suspicious look.

Ryou covered his mouth until his snickering stopped, and then revealed a small grin. "Nothing, just remembered a funny joke, is all…" he replied.

Ruki eyed him like a hawk. "You're up to something, I can just feel it… and I'll find out what it is."

Ryou winked at her and flashed another grin. "Good luck with that, Ruki-_chan_."

"Akiyama, I'm in a good mood and a little wiped… don't make me have to crush your balls too."


	3. Chapter 3

Takato opened the door to his parents' bakery, hearing the familiar bell chime that followed and taking in the sweet aroma of the delicious-looking breads and pastries on the surrounding shelves. "Hey mom, hey dad, I'm home!" he called out.

"Welcome home, Takato," a feminine voice replied, the voice of Takato's mother. Yoshie Matsuda soon made herself known and walked out from behind the backroom with a basket of breads in her arms, smiling at her son. "You have a good day at school?"

Takato smiled back. "Yep, I got a 90 on my sketch book project."

"That's great honey! You really should have gotten a hundred on it though, you're such a fantastic artist," she said, recalling the numerous sketches and paintings that lined the walls of Takato's bedroom. "Oh well, no sense crying over it, 90 is still a good mark. Help yourself to a snack and then go work on your homework, alright?"

Takato nodded. "Kay."

After grabbing a cinnamon roll and a can of ramune and slipping his shoes off, Takato walked a flight of stairs and down a short hallway and opened a wooden door to his bedroom, basking in joy and smiling.

Takato was always happy to enter his room because he took a lot of pride in the dozens of drawings and paintings he'd done himself. Some of them were characters from Digimon, others were various landscapes, but most of them were a collection of him and his friends or family members. The majority of his pictures were of him and Jenrya.

The brunette threw his backpack down at the side of his desk, which was covered with various art supplies and only a small section of it was left free, and took a seat on his bed, taking a bite of his cinnamon roll and placing the ramune can on the end table next to it.

As he munched on the delectable pastry, he heard a small ringing noise coming from his pocket. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. The caller ID showed that it was the phone number of his school.

~x-X-x~

After his afterschool Tai Chi class and a quick shower at the dojo, Jenrya stepped into the porch of his family's loft. He took notice to his older brother and sister bickering on the couch – something about pizza and money – but gave it little attention and made his way to his room. Just as he was about to open the door to his room, he was soon bombarded and tackled to the floor by a short girl dressed in a pink t-shirt and white short, Xiaochun.

"Hey, Jianliang!" she said cheerfully.

Jenrya sighed. After twelve years of living with Xiaochun, he should expect the daily tackle from her, and yet she gets him every time. "Xiaochun, don't you think you're getting too old for this? You're twelve years old and in middle school," he stated, looking up at her from the floor.

"Maybe, but not getting on your nerves, that never gets old," she answered, giving him an amused grin. Though, she took the hint and allowed her brother to stand up. "Mom and dad called to say that they're going to a movie right after work, so Jialing and Lianjie are gonna pay for a pizza, but they've been fighting over it since the call."

"For the last time, I'm _not_ paying for vegetarian pizza, it's disgusting!" Lianjie shouted angrily, sticking his tongue out for emphasis.

"Well _I'm_ not paying for a pizza covered with a whole cow's worth of meat on it!" Jialing yelled back. "With the food they make at college, I can't afford the calories as it is!"

"Why? Afraid all the guys won't like you if you don't look like a mop handle in a dress? Speaking of which, don't you ever wash your hair? It looks like a mop tied in a ponytail."

Jenrya and Xiaochun flinched as they watched the argument progress, staring in fear as Jialing's eyes narrowed and gave the eldest child the angriest stare he'd ever seen. Lianjie just pushed Jialing's button… big time.

"Oh, that's it… IT'S ON!" Without any warning, Jialing jumped across the couch and tackled Lianjie to floor, causing a wrestling match to break out between the two.

Jenrya looked at Xiaochun and shrugged his shoulders. "Guess we're on our own for supper," he said, making both of them laugh. Jailing and Lianjie were often bickering; which, half the time, resulted in a wrestling match… and broken furniture. Thankfully, their family made quite a lot of money, so they could easily repair and/or replace broken furniture. "Wanna head over to Lotteria while we wait for those two to tire themselves out?"

Xiaochun nodded. "Hold on… You're paying right?"

Jenrya laughed. "Of course."

"Then I'll be ready in about five minutes." The girl quickly raced to her room and slammed the door shut. Jenrya brushed the dust off his uniform and entered his own room.

He quickly changed out of his uniform and into a blue t-shirt, black jacket and a pair of jeans. He grabbed his wallet and slipped it into his pocket. Just as he was about to leave with Xiaochun, he heard his phone ringing from his jacket and pulled it out and smiled. It was Takato. He tried not to explode in sheer joy as he hit the 'Talk' button.

"Hello? Takato-kun?"

"_Jen-kun, guess what!" _

"What?"

"_I got a call from the school about an hour ago… I won the dinner at Subarashii Ryorii!" _

Jenrya nearly dropped the phone as he heard the news. It was earthshattering, at least in his opinion.

Sure, he was happy that Takato won the raffle and was going to dine on delicious – and incredibly overpriced – food. He really was. The only thing that upset him was that Takato was going on a date with some random girl that he didn't even know, and not him. He would have loved to go on that date with Takato, and see him all dressed up in a tuxedo that would probably be too big for him, making him seem even smaller and cuter than he already was.

But he didn't even have a chance anyway. The contest was for a boy and a girl only, not two boys. He would just have to suck it up and be supportive of his best friend, and hope the date went well.

"_Jen-kun, hello? You still there?" _

"O-Oh, sorry, guess I zoned out for a second there. Congrats Takato!"

"_Thanks! Sorry you didn't win though…"_

"No, don't worry about it… I'm happy for you, hope you have fun. Do you know who you're going with?"

"_Nope. They said that they won't tell me until Friday. They're gonna announce at the end of the day on Friday."_

"Alright, I hope you have fun. See you tomorrow, Takato-kun…"

After hitting the 'End' button and pocketing his phone, Jenrya couldn't help but sink to his knees in despair. This was the last thing he wanted. He never wanted Takato going on a date with anyone else but him. Jenrya loved Takato more than anyone else could ever dream. That sweet, innocent, girly face of his made him want to melt into a puddle, and his smile made him feel like he could touch the sky on his bluest days.

He sighed. Takato was going on this date and there was no way he could stop him without telling the brunette how he felt, he would just have to accept it and hope the date goes well… or up in flames.

And who knows? Maybe Takato might accidently spill soda on his date's dress, she'll get mad and run out of the restaurant, and they'll never speak again. That thought gave Jenrya enough good spirits to stand up again and got him to go out to meet Xiaochun at the front door.

"It's about time, Jianliang! What took you so long?" she asked in an impatient tone.

Jenrya faked a smile. "Oh nothing, just had to find my wallet," he quickly lied. His focus drifted to Xiaochun's new outfit, which consisted of a white tank-top with a pink heart embroidered in the center, a pink skirt, white knee socks and a small, red purse hanging off her shoulder. She had also let down her hair from its two pigtails, letting it flow down to her neck. That wasn't something she normally wore, especially not to a place like Lotteria. What was she up to…?

"_Nǐ yào qù fùchū, húndàn, guòlái_!"

"_Ō, chángshì, ràng wǒ, biǎo zi!_"

Jenrya flinched at his older siblings' cursing at each other in Chinese from across the room and quickly looked at Xiaochun. "_Please _tell me you don't know what that means…"

"Do you want the truth? Or do you want me to lie so that you don't get in trouble with Mom and Dad?"

"Which do you think?"

Xiaochun grinned. "Nope, I have no clue."

Jenrya smiled proudly and ruffled his hands through her hair. "And that's why you're my favourite… Now, let's go before you hear something else you shouldn't know, come on," he said as he quickly pushed his younger sister out the door and shutting it behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Jenrya could do nothing but look out the window, sipping on the can of ramune in his hand. He and Xiaochun were sitting in a booth at the Lotteria just down the street from their apartment building. He had a tray with a burger and fries in front of him, but he'd hardly touched any of it. He'd been staring out the window since he and his sister sat down, continuously thinking about Takato with a frown plastered to his face.

He just couldn't believe that Takato, of all people, won the raffle, and was going on a date with some random girl. He was afraid Takato could quite possibly end up falling for this girl. Then he'd go with her to prom, then they would get married, move to America, have kids, and he'd never talk to him again. The very thought of Takato so much as holding hands with anyone but him made his blood boil.

Xiaochun gave her brother an annoyed glare. He hadn't said a word since they ordered their food, and she was a bit getting ticked off by it. She knew exactly who he was thinking about, that was obvious, and that gave her an idea on how to get Jenrya's attention. "Hey Jianliang, is that Takato over there wearing a maid's outfit?" she asked, smirking wickedly.

Jenrya's eyes widened and he started looking in every direction his neck would allow. "Where? Where is he? Takato-chan?!" he spat out, a happy smile once again on his face. After a moment of looking around, he realized Takato was nowhere in sight, and saw his sister smirking at him. His face flushed brightly. "Uh…" was all he could say on a continuous loop.

Xiaochun shook her head. "Oh Jianliang, so gullible… remind me which one of us is the youngest sibling?"

Jenrya relaxed and sighed, sinking into his seat. "So… you know?"

"Jenrya, I'm pretty sure that if it wasn't for the fact that Mom and Dad work so late, and Jialing and Lianjie weren't at each other's necks, _everyone_ that knows you knows you love Takato, except for maybe Takato himself. So, why don't you tell me about what's bugging you?"

"I'm not gonna waste your time, Xiaochun, you probably wouldn't understand it anyway…" Jenrya said as he picked up his Ramune and sipped it once more.

Xiaochun's eyes lowered so that she was scowling at her brother. "Oh, so… Takato _isn't _the _'greatest creation of cuteness that was ever born onto this or any other world and makes your day worth living?' _And he doesn't make you feel like '_Angemon and Angewomon are showering you with feelings of love and heaven every time you look into his dazzling, beautiful, crimson eyes?_'"

Jenrya choked on the soda and did a small spit-take across the table, his face growing redder by the second. He punched his stomach several to finally get himself breathing again. He coughed several times before panting heavily. "H-How the hell did you know _that?!"_ he tried not to scream.

Xiaochun grinned, waving a finger around like she was his boss. "Let's put it this way: in between a mattress and box spring isn't exactly the best place to hide your diary. It's _WAAAY_ to common. You may as well have left it out on your desk… And FYI, you should really work on your writing skills, your description of Takato wearing a 'pretty, adorable, blue sweatshirt that makes his face glow' is pretty weak…"

Jenrya couldn't help but blush wildly and stare at his sister, dumbfounded. _'When the hell did she get so damned devious?!'_ he screamed in his head. "Ok, maybe you do understand…"

Xiaochun smiled proudly. "I know. Now, make like that Ramune and spill."

Jenrya huffed, trying to find interest in anything other than the twelve year old devil-child sitting across from him. "That still doesn't mean I have to tell you, Xiaochun. My personal life is my business, not yours…"

Xiaochun gave her brother a blank stare. "Jianliang, tell me what's wrong, or so help me I'll scream at the top of my lungs 'My brother loves Takato,' right here, right now."

Jenrya flinched, and then glared at her. "You wouldn't…"

"You wanna bet, Jianliang? Do you _really~_?" She made sure that 'really' was stretched out especially long, just to torment her brother.

And it worked, Jenrya could only sigh in defeat and look down at the food that was cooling quickly in front of him. "Takato is going on a date… with some random girl… and I'm scared he might end up falling for her…" he said in a pained voice.

Xiaochun smiled. "See, was that so hard?" she asked with a chuckle. "Now, getting back to your problem… are you really so worried that Takato – a person who spends his day drawing meadows, keeps his hair tied back with more hair pins then I do, and once got caught dressed up in a school girl's uniform-"

Jenrya flinched, hiding his eyes behind his hand in shame. "P-Please, don't bring that up now…"

Once, when Takato just started high school, some of the mean, older kids kidnapped him during lunch and dressed him in his school's girl's uniform... Jenrya was really glad that Ruki sent him a picture of Takato dressed like that, since he was out sick that day. When he saw it, he thought the fever was making him hallucinate. The shirt was – shockingly, considering his frame – a size too small for him, so part of his lower torso was exposed. And the skirt had been cut off by about an inch, leaving very little to the imagination. If it had been anyone else, Jenrya wouldn't have giving it much attention, but since it was Takato dressed like that, he was forced to stay home for another two days after his mother found his pillows and bed sheets stained with several splotches of blood… and not a symptom of being sick. That picture is now in a picture frame that is hidden under his bed, in a code-lock safe that also contained a certain magazine he had to buy online, a pack of condoms, and several other dirty things Jenrya only used when he was home alone…

"Anyway, do you honestly think Takato is gonna end up falling for some random girl he likely doesn't even know? Jenrya, get real. Odds are that girl will have more masculinity than he does, and make him act like he _isn't_ the biggest uke in the world."

Jenrya couldn't help but pout and think to himself, _'But I like him being the biggest uke in the world! That what makes him so cute!'_ But, he couldn't help but feel better after hearing Xiaochun explain it to him. Takato wasn't the type of person to fall for someone after only one date. In fact, he once had a crush of Juri when he was younger, and she agreed to a date with him. A movie, a dinner, and hug goodnight later, they realized that they didn't have anything in common, other than Digimon, and agreed to just be friends. Jenrya of course knew this first… not because Takato told him before the others, because he spent all night tailing the two in secret, bitterly jealous of Juri.

Jenrya sighed once more. "Thanks Xiaochun, that's actually something I needed to hear… who knew I'd end up taking romantic advice from my little sister. You're actually pretty good at this."

Xiaochun crossed her arms and flashed a victorious grin. "Of course I am. Jenrya, you may be 'computer smart', but speaking as someone who spends her time reading Romance Manga, watching Romantic movies, and have actually kissed more boys than you have, I'm 'love smart.'"

Jenrya let out a simple laugh. "'Love smart?'" he asked teasingly. Then he sent the girl a jealous and angered glare. "…And exactly how many boys have you kissed?" he asked in a more serious tone.

"One, but that still beats your record."

Jenrya had to refrain himself from slamming his fist down on the table in anger. "What little devil-child dared to lay his lips on my little sister's?!" he all but screamed.

"Shui-chan?" A voice spoke. Both Li siblings turned their heads to see a boy around Xiaochun's age standing beside them. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was dressed in a green turtleneck sweatshirt, covered by a beige vest with matching shorts, and green and white sneakers. He was carrying a tray of food in his hands. The boy smiled and took a seat in the booth, next to Xiaochun. He gave her a loving smile and then surprisingly kissed her on the cheek. "Hey sweety, how's it going? You wanted me to meet you hear?"

Xiaochun flashed another grin Jenrya's way. "Speak of the _devil-child_," she said in a mocking tone. "Jianliang, this is my boyfriend, Takeru Takaishi. Take-chan, this is my older brother Jianliang, Jenrya in Japanese."

Takeru extended his hand out and smiled at Jenrya. "Nice to meet you, Jenrya-san," he said cheerfully.

Jenrya could only give the boy a blank stare, but then knocked it back to a simple look. Taking a good look at the boy, he could tell that the boy seemed to have the same kind of happy-go-lucky atmosphere that Takato has, and smile. He could see why Xiaochun liked this boy, because he was starting to like him himself.

Jenrya reached across the table and shook Takeru's hand. "It's nice to meet you, too, Takeru-kun. So, how long have you been dating Xiaochun?"

Takeru thought about it for a moment. "About two months, right Shui-chan?"

Xiaochun nodded, and then scooped her arm into Takeru's and held him close. "Two months exactly, today in fact. Happy anniversary, Take-chan!" she said happily, a small blush forming on her cheeks. "Takeru and I kept it a secret because we didn't wanna hear any annoying nagging from our parents and siblings about being too young. But since it's been two whole months without any problems, we agreed we'd tell our families about it to prove to them we can be young _and_ responsible. I decided that we'd tell you first because… well, you're the one I trust most…" Jenrya felt a little proud that his sister had just said that about him. "So I texted Take-chan before we left to meet me here so I could tell you. So… do you think it's ok?" She gave him a pleading look, as did Takeru.

Jenrya smiled proudly. Takeru and Xiaochun did look really good together, and they both seemed really happy. It reminded him of how he felt for Takato. "Alright then, you pass Takeru, I give permission to date my sister."

Takeru and Xiaochun smiled, ear to ear, and then high-fived each other. "Alright!" they both cheered, hugging each other afterwards.

"But…" Jenrya gave him a cold glare. "If you even think about hurting my little sister and break her heart, I'll break every bone in your body. Am I clear?"

Takeru sweat-dropped and nodded fearfully, not taking his eyes off Jenrya for a second. "Crystal, sir!" he squeaked out.

Xiaochun laughed. "You're as big of an uke as Takato!"

Takeru gave her a confused look. "Takato…?"

"He's this _really_ girly-boy that my brother is _completely_ in love with."

Jenrya blushed brightly. "XI-XIAOCHUN!" he screamed, embarrassed like crazy.

Takeru chuckled. "Oh, I get it now."

Jenrya quite stuttering for a moment and gave his sister's boyfriend another strange look. "So… you don't find it weird that I'm… you know… gay?"

Takeru laughed once more. "Oh, please, I have a girly-brother of my own that has longer hair than my mom, and he spends his time gushing over _his_ boyfriend like a little school girl… well, when he's not on stage."

"On stage?" Xiaochun and Jenrya both asked, after exchanging glances.

Takeru nodded. "Yep, he's a rock star-in-training. You might have heard of him, he's lead singer and plays bass in the band 'The Teenage Wolves,' Yamato Ishida."

Xiaochun and Jenrya's jaws dropped like rocks. Was he talking about _the_ Yamato Ishida? Rising star of Tokyo and nominee for "Japan's top rising artist" after his song "I turn around" was placed on the top one hundred songs list. His poster was on the walls of practically every girl all across Japan, and even the guys liked his songs… he was Takeru's brother?!

Xiaochun gave her boyfriend a suspicious glare. "There's no way _YAMATO ISHIDA_ is your brother, Take-chan!" she stated. "You don't even have the same last name! His name is 'Ishida,' yours is 'Takaishi.' Try and make sense of that!"

Takeru started to scratch his cheek, awkwardly. "Actually, my parents got divorced just after I was born, and my mom took back her Maiden name and gave it to me when the divorce was finalized. My dad and Yamato-niichan live in Odaiba, while I live here with my mom in Shinjuku."

Xiaochun gasped. She clamped down hard onto Takeru's arm and pulled him closer to her. "I'm so sorry, Take-chan! I swear I didn't know! If I did-"

Takeru laughed and pulled Xiaochun off of his arm. "It's alright, Shui-chan, I'm not upset about it. My parents love the both of us, and they found a way to make it so we can still see each other."

"How so?" Jenrya asked.

"Every week, Yamato-niichan and I alternatively go to each other's house so we can see each other and our parents. Like, I spend the weekend with him and my dad, and then he spends the weekend with me and my mom. In fact, I'm going to his place this weekend, after his concert. Which reminds me…" Takeru reached into his vest pocket and pulled out two blue concert tickets. The back of them had the silhouette of a wolf imprinted on it. "Happy anniversary, Shui-chan!"

Xiaochun grabbed one of the tickets from Takeru's hand and eyed it with a wide smile on her face. "_NO WAY_! Front row, _center?!"_ she asked, excitedly.

The blonde grinned. "Having a brother who'd leader of the band can really pay off… especially if you blackmail him with an embarrassing video of the first time he tried dancing," he replied, adding in a short snicker.

Xiaochun laid the ticket on the table and tackled Takeru onto the bench with a kiss, which Jenrya couldn't help but chuckle at. Those two were definitely made for each other. Both were somewhat mischievous, but had a sweet side that overlooked that, and they obviously cared deeply for one another. He hoped that someday he and Takato could be like them… the caring and sweet part, not the mischievous part.


	5. Chapter 5

As Friday grew close, Jenrya's nerves grew even closer to driving him insane. He was helping Takato this afternoon looking for an outfit for the occasion, which happened to be tomorrow evening. Takato was, apparently, really excited about it, seeing as he'd been unable to stop talking about it since he found out he was the lucky winner, and the more excited he sounded, Jenrya became equally as worried. He was starting to become afraid again that this dinner might be where Takato meets the love of his life, and he wanted that honour to be him!

The bluenette shook his head to get the negative thoughts out of his mind. He just had to remember what Xiaochun told him: the likelihood that Takato ending up falling for _whoever_ he's going on this date with was slim to none.

Jenrya sighed as he sat back on the bed while he and watched Takato scouring through dozens of outfits in his closet, more than he even knew Takato had. The only good thing about this afternoon was that he constantly got to see Takato in some of his most adorable clothes, such as the light-blue t-shirt with the Katakana for his name embroidered on his shoulder and white capris shorts he was currently wearing. It reminded Jenrya of what Takato used to wear as a child.

"Hey Jen-kun, what do you think?" Takato asked, looking at himself in the mirror.

Jenrya snapped out of his daze long enough to smile and nod in Takato's direction. "Uh, yeah, that looks great Takato-kun," he answered. He really didn't care what Takato was wearing, he could show up to that restaurant wearing dirty overalls and a paper hat and the bluenette would still think he was the most adorable person in the universe. In his eyes, Takato already is.

Takato hummed doubtfully. "I don't know… It's not exactly something you'd expect to see in a fancy restaurant like Subarashii Ryorii…" The brunette sighed and started to take off this outfit and throwing it on the mountain of other discarded clothes next to him until he was standing in only his digimon-printed boxers.

Jenrya reached for the box of tissues on Takato's bed and held it up to his nose, catching the river of blood that was about to rocket out. This happened to be the _other _reason Jenrya wanted to help Takato with his outfit: getting to see Takato constantly running around in his underwear. Takato was _really_ comfortable changing in front of his male friends, like Jenrya and Hirokazu, which was why he didn't bother running back and forth between the bathroom and his bedroom with each outfit and just changed in front of Jenrya, much to the latter's delight.

Takato suddenly snapped, grinning. "I know!" He dove into the floor of his closet, with his rear end sticking out straight in Jenrya's face, causing another gush of blood to shoot out and his face to grow bright red. The bluenette had to resist the urge to tackle Takato to the floor and take him there… also, the urge to pass out from blood loss. Just as Jenrya was about to reach for another bundle of tissues, Takato came back out from his closet with a small box in his hands. "Found it!"

Jenrya lowered the tissues from his face long enough to give the box a wondrous look. "What's that?"

Takato grinned again. "It's the outfit I wore the first time I went to Subarashii Ryorii, and it should be perfect!" The brunette was about to open the box and dress himself once again, he noticed the blood stains on his friends face and hands and gasped. "Jen-kun, is your Haemophilia acting up again? If it is, I'll get my mom to drive you home."

To prevent Takato from figuring out his feelings, Jenrya made up the fact he had Haemophilia as a way to explain the sudden, massive spurts of blood that came from his nose every time he saw Takato in a state of undress, or when he was just being so cute you couldn't help it. Somehow, he believed it, and never questioned the reason why it only reacted when they were getting changed either at Takato's or Jenrya's house or in the locker room at school before gym class. Sometimes, he thanked the gods that Takato was so oblivious, or he would have been found out a _long_ time ago…

Jenrya coughed embarrassedly and shook his head. "N-No, I'm fine Takato! I-I just… got a little warm, I… sometimes get nose bleeds when I get too warm," he said quickly. He honestly didn't know if that was a symptom of Haemophilia-based nosebleeds – in fact, he didn't know a single thing about Haemophilia, other than the nosebleeds – he just made that up on the spot after he saw it on a medical show Jialing was watching.

Takato sighed in relief. "Oh, good, I thought you might have needed to go to the hospital or something. You're probably just getting a hot flash from that giant jacket you have on," he said, pointing to the over-sized black jacket Jenrya was wearing. "Come here, let me take that off for you…"

Jenrya couldn't believe the idea of what Takato was about to do: Standing almost naked, about to take his clothes off, practically by force. This was like a dream come true… just not under the same circumstances, and it was usually Takato that was getting undressed by _him_, but still, he was delightfully happy…

Then, the tightening feeling in his navy jeans made him realized that he was getting a little _too_ happy in places he'd rather keep in a neutral mood. The only thing that kept Takato from seeing just how _happy_ he was happened to be that jacket, stretching down past his thighs.

Before Takato could grab Jenrya's jacket, the latter had jumped up from the bed and spun around, barely managing to keep a straight face. "I-I just remembered… I have to help my sisters," he lied. "They wanna make my brother stop leaving his clothes all over the house and they need my help throwing them out the window. Cruel and pointless, I'm aware of that, but I they asked nicely so I couldn't say 'no'. I'm sure you'll look great, later Takato-kun! See you tomorrow!" he managed to say in one breath, each second stepping closer to the door until he had managed dash out of the room and slam the door behind him.

"U-Uh, ok, later Jen-ku-!" Takato began before he cringed as he heard moans of pain and loud bangs against the stairs, cringing with each bang and moan until finally it stopped.

"Ow…" he heard Jenrya moan softly, barely audible.

Takato sighed. "We should _really _get those stairs carpeted…"

-x~X~x-

After Jenrya recovered from his slip down the stairs, brushed himself off and left the Matsuda bakery, he nearly broke his legs running away and down to the subway station. When he bought his ticket and got on the subway, he took a seat and sighed in relief.

'_That was WAY too close!'_ Jenrya screamed in his mind. The bluenette could feel his pants getting tighter by the second as he recalled the events of the past few hours. Watching that bottle of cuteness constantly switching from one handsome and appealing outfit to another, with the simply erotic glimpse of those leg-hugging, dangerously short boxers that outlined every last detail of the boy's rear. Oh, how Jenrya wanted to be holding and caressing every inch of that bundle of joy was beyond words…

And what made it worse was that the closer it got to that dinner, Jenrya felt his chances of making Takato his slipping through his fingers. He truly loved Takato more than any girl ever could, and he didn't want to lose him... and yet, he was practically giving him away on a silver platter. He could have told Takato how he felt on many occasions, however he was too scared to say those three small, but powerfully life-changing words: "I love you."

Why was he so scared? What was the worst way Takato could possibly react? Takato was so sweet and so kind that, even if he didn't love Jenrya, he would try to reject him in the sweetest and most thoughtful way possible… besides, the brunette was practically a girl already – High voice, mid-length hair, baby-smooth face and body – so it wasn't entirely Jenrya's fault that he felt attracted to him at the beginning. In fact, when Jenrya first saw met back in elementary school, he thought Takato actually _was _a girl! That is, until he found Takato shirtless in the _boys_' locker room before gym.

That's when his feelings for Takato took off, as did his realization about his orientation. He found himself lying awake at night – imagining Takato and him as adults, where Takato would great Jenrya with a kiss every morning when he woke up, got home from work, and before he went to bed; saying "I love you" to each other immediately afterwards; playing with their children; cuddling in each other's arms at night… among other things.

At first, he thought it was just a strong best-friendship he was feeling. But, when Takato went on a week-long hot spring trip with the rest of his class in Kyoto – save for Jenrya, who couldn't afford it at the time because his parents needed to save up for Lianjie to go to college the next year – the bluenette felt a sense of pain and loneliness from the second Takato's bus was out of sight, one that was completely unfamiliar to him. His breathe was short, his heart raced and ached, and he cried himself to sleep at night. It physically and psychologically hurt him to not be able to see Takato for an entire week – which he felt was the longest and most agonizing week of his life.

That's when Jenrya realized: he was in love with Takato Matsuda. He loved his warm, loving smile; he loved his deep, crimson eyes; he loved the vibe of good fortune that he gave off. There wasn't a single thing about Takato that Jenrya didn't like…

…Which explained why it was so hard for him to just sit back and let Takato go on this date. When it was with Juri, he didn't mind as much ('As much' being a relative term…) because he knew Juri didn't like him like that. She only agreed to the date so Takato would get over her and they could go back to being friends. But with this mystery girl… he didn't even know how he should feel, because it literally could have been anyone from the school. He knew it wasn't Juri or Ruki because he'd already asked them and both and they both replied that they didn't win, so the fact that Takato could end up with some complete slut or someone who would be yelling and bossing Takato around all night made Jenrya want to scream in agony and demolish a wall with a single punch.

Jenrya gripped the safety rail of the subway angrily. Why did it have to be Takato, out of _EVERY_ boy in their high school that had to win that dinner? Why couldn't it have been him? or Ryou? Or even Hirokazu or Kenta?! Sure, one of those two would be a little ticked off, but at least Jenrya wouldn't have the urge to kill the other half of the date!

"For crying out loud Jen, you're gonna break the damn thing if you don't relax!" a snarky voice said sarcastically from beside him. Jenrya looked up and saw Ruki grinning down at him, dressed in her casual jeans and 'broken heart' brand tank-top. "Alright, let me guess… still stressing over Takato's dinner tomorrow?"

Jenrya sighed. "Yeah, it's driving me nuts…" he said. He didn't even bother resisting Ruki's question, because she would find out the truth – either by him telling her straight up, or her beating it out of him. So he chose the least painful path. "When I see him, I want to run up and hold him in my arms and never let him go…"

"Then why don't you do it, stupid?" she asked. "Seems pretty simple to me: You see someone you like, get 'em while the gettin's good, no hassle."

Jenrya looked down at his lap and sighed. "It's not that easy Ruki," he stated. "You don't know what it's like to love somebody. You don't know what it's like to want something that you can't have. Takato isn't like me, nor does he. Just because he _is_… a little girly, doesn't mean he doesn't like girls, I've seen the way he looks at some of the girls at school, and he's never looked at the guys like that… I just want him to look at me like that, is that really too much to ask?"

Ruki groaned. "Jen, you're an oblivious idiot you know that?!" She walked past Jenrya and took a seat on the bench next to him. "Ok… I'm gonna try something… that's completely new to me: …Being kind and considerate. So don't go getting upset if I say something wrong…" She took a deep breathe, exhaled and looked Jenrya in the eye. "You're right. I don't know what it's like to want someone I can't have. I've never felt love before. I never have and I never will. Whenever you're pouring your heart out about how much you love Goggles, I usually go off into my 'happy place' I hear you people talking about-"

Jenrya stifled a laugh. "_YOU_ have a happy place?"

Ruki glared him in the eye. "I'm trying to help you here…" she muttered bitterly. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is… I've known Takato as long as you have, and if you weren't so blinded by your love for him you'd realize that Goggles isn't the lovey-dovey type. The closest he came to that was with Juri, and we all know how that ended."

Jenrya sighed. "Ruki, I know that in my head… but not-OW!" he cried loudly, feeling Ruki's fist deal him a direct blow to the top of his head.

"I am _NOT_ in the mood for a cheesy melodrama where the guy in loves says _'I know in my head that's not true, but not in my heart,' _and, so help me, I will strangle you now if you finish that sentence, Jen! Am I clear?"

Jenrya nodded fearfully, clutching the large bump forming on his scalp. The bluenette was a black belt in Tai Chi, could pin an opponent in two seconds and break their arms and legs if need be; but Ruki had the strength and intimidation that would make even him crawl into a corner and cry. There wasn't a single human being alive that Ruki couldn't strike fear into. In fact, he literally witnessed her make a _military commandant_ cry like a baby after he got on her nerves the day he came to speak at school. He thanked the gods there wasn't anyone else in the subway car at the moment, because he really didn't want anyone seeing Ruki treating him like a defenseless child.

"Now then, back to Goggles… I'm going to tell you something that I probably shouldn't, but this annoying, droopy, 'I'll be alone the rest of my life' attitude of yours is _getting on my_ _last nerve_! So listen up, because I'm only going to say this one time…"


	6. Chapter 6

**2 years ago…**

_Takato, Jenrya, Ruki, Juri, Kenta and Hirokazu gazed happily at the cool, refreshing appearance of the waves crashing back and forth against the Okinawan shore, where hundreds of people were already enjoying themselves. It was a marvelous sight, indeed. Each of them was dressed in their respective beach wear, and was trying to resist the urge to jump right into the ocean._

_A chuckle was heard by everyone. It came from Takato's cousin, Kai, who stood beside them with a proud and cocky grin plastered to his face. "Well, what do you think everyone? Pretty sweet, huh?" he asked._

"'_Sweet' doesn't even begin to describe it! More like _freakin' awesome!_" Hirokazu stated happily, already beginning to peel off his t-shirt._

_Takato was invited to stay for a week with his grandfather, Wataru Urazoe and his grandson Kai, and they said he could bring his friends with him. He wanted Ryou to come too, but the latter's dad arranged for him to spend a few days at some computer programming camp in Kyoto and he couldn't get out of it. He wasn't all that upset to miss out, though. And Takato understood his reasoning:_

"_Ruki would murder me and bury me in the sand if she had to spend a week in the same house as me. I can already see her sharpening a knife on a grindstone with an evil smile on her face…"_

_He wasn't wrong. Ruki got majorly pissed at almost everything Ryou did – especially when it involved her –and the very thought of spending a week under the same roof with him would probably send her into either a 'KILL AKIYAMA!' frenzy or a state of comatose from the shock._

"_Thanks again for letting us all stay the week here in Okinawa, Kai-kun, I really appreciate it," Jenrya said, bowing gratefully. Not only was it a great opportunity to explore the beaches and forests of Okinawa, but he got to spend a full week with Takato! It was almost a reverse situation between Ruki and Ryou._

"_Come on, dude, don't sweat it! It's awesome having people here to socialize with! It gets kinda boring here all by myself and Grandpa isn't much help…"_

"_A-Alright…"_

"_What are we still doing here when we could be in the water? Let's go!" Hirokazu – who was now standing in a pair of black swim trunks with his clothes, sandals and towel scattered around him – declared. He ran quickly across the sand, shouting "TO THE WATER!" as he did so._

_Ruki sighed. "Idiot…" she muttered. She pulled off her white 'broken heart'- printed bag from her shoulder and pulled out a wallet, tossing the former under a vacant beach umbrella. "I'm gonna get a drink from the snack bar and spend the rest of the day under that umbrella. See you in six hours." She gave a single wave 'goodbye' and then started walking towards a small hut just a few feet away from them, where a giant pool of people were gathered in front of the counter._

_The remaining kids laughed. Kenta and Kai followed Hirokazu's example and discarded their clothes and personal items to the side. "We're gonna go mess with Shiota, if you wanna get in on it, too then get going!" Kai said, smirking deviously._

_Takato nodded. "Alright, be there in a sec. You go on ahead." Kai and Kenta shrugged and ran along the beach and into the water, where Hirokazu was currently hitting on some Okinawan high school girls on vacation. Takato turned to Juri. "What about you, Juri-chan? You gonna come with us into the water?"_

"_Actually, I'm gonna stay here and work on my tan," she replied._

"_OUT OF THE WAY, PEOPLE! THIRSTY GIRL COMING THROUGH HERE!" The sound of Ruki's pissed-off voice made all three of the kids cringe. "HEY! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ME, DUMBASS OR I'LL RIP THEM OFF AND SLAP YOU WITH THEM!"_

"…_And make sure Ruki doesn't turn the beach into a cemetery." The kids laughed. "I'll join you later on, have fun guys!" The brunette then ran after Ruki, who was now plowing her way through the crowd._

_Takato and Jen laughed once again. _

"_Well, we can't let those guys have all the fun now can we?" Jenrya said daringly. He took his towel from around his neck and spread it out across the sand. Afterwards, he dropped his bag and took off his t-shirt, allowing the fruits of his labour in Tai Chi class to show. His muscles rippled as he stretched them out with one arm behind his back._

_When Takato took a look at Jenrya's chest at a glance, he found himself unable to look away. He couldn't explain it, but his eyes where somehow drawn to Jenrya. His biceps, his chest, his abs; he just couldn't turn away no matter how hard he tried. It was almost like a magnetic force that pulled his line of sight directly at him._

_It was when Jenrya started running off towards the ocean that Takato was allowed to look at anything else. When Jenrya noticed that Takato was just standing there, he spun around and smiled at the brunette. "Are you coming or what Takato-kun?" he asked._

_Takato couldn't help but blush a little when he saw Jenrya's smile, though he took it as the heat of the sun hitting his face. He smiled back and nodded. "Coming!" he answered, pulling off his white t-shirt and placing it next to Jenrya's things. He ran after the bluenette as they raced to the ocean, trying to get a good view of Kai and Kenta taking turns playing Hot Potato with Hirokazu's swim trunks._

_Ruki happened to glance back at the brunette during that little 'moment' as she shoved a guy's face into the sand for trying to hit on her. She couldn't help but grin at the fact that Takato might be taking an interest in Jenrya, in more ways than one…_

**Present…**

"Wait… so you're saying that Takato was… staring at me?" Jenrya asked, staring wide-eyed at Ruki.

The latter nodded, showing her usual 'Ruki' smirk. "Yep, his eyes were locked-on to you like yours were to that picture of when he cross-dre"

Jenrya quickly cut her off. "P-Please don't bring that up, now, I'm already short on blood…" he begged, covering his cheeks and nose with his hands, both of which were showing red.

Ruki gave off an annoyed sigh. "Alright, but this story isn't over yet so keep listening…"

**2 years ago…**

_Later on in the week, roughly 4 days into their vacation, Takato, Ruki and Jenrya were hiking throughout the Okinawan forest. All was going well; Takato was taking pictures of the landscapes he planned to paint when he got home, Jenrya was following the latter around like a loyal puppy, and Ruki was basking in the glow of a Ryou-free week. All-in-all, the three of them were pleased…_

…_That is, until a rain storm started up. It came down so hard and suddenly that the three teenagers were forced to find shelter in an abandoned cave. It was getting late and the rain wasn't even close to letting up. _

_Ruki didn't seem to mind, as she was just listening to her music and leaning against the wall of the cave. Jenrya was looking over the pictures that he and Takato had taken earlier, so he had that to keep him occupied, and Takato was sitting next to him, looking at the pictures with him._

_Takato looked up at Jenrya as the two reviewed the last of their pictures and put the camera away. "I say we did a good job, huh Jen-kun?" he said._

_Jenrya blushed, silently praying to the gods that the darkness of the cave was hiding it. "Y-Yeah, I guess…" he replied._

_Suddenly, a huge clap of thunder boomed outside the cave, followed by a bright flash of lightning. Within an instant of that, Takato had jumped almost a foot off the floor of the cave and had buried his face into Jenrya's chest, letting out a small scream through the process._

_Jenrya's face grew redder by the second. He looked down at the brunette currently whimpering in his lap. "T-TAKATO!?" he screamed. He was utterly embarrassed about the position they were in – Takato crying into his chest, legs straddling his own – and at the same time he felt like he was in heaven. _

_Takato looked up at Jenrya, his eyes flowing drops of tears. "S-Sorry, Jen-kun… I-I just…"_

_Jenrya understood what Takato was trying to say. Takato never liked thunderstorms. He'd been scared of them since he was little. Any time he was unlucky to find himself in one back home, he'd hide under his bed with the blanket over his head. Jenrya knew this because, whenever Takato would sleep over at his house during a lightning storm, Takato would hide under the former's bed and wouldn't come out, no matter what he tried._

"_I-Its ok, Takato-kun… Um… I-If you feel better like this, I, uh… I don't mind…"_

"_R-Really? You really don't mind… this?"_

_Jenrya nodded, though it was mixed blessing. The way he was sitting, if Takato moved even an inch, the friction may cause Jenrya to find himself in a _very_ awkward situation. Also, if Takato got any more submissive, his "Haemophilia" may act up and then that would just add to the awkwardness. But he'd risk it. This was one of the few moments in his life that he got to be this close to Takato and it wouldn't be (initially) awkward, and he was going for it!_

_He wrapped his arms around Takato's back and pulled the brunette closer to him. Takato did the same when he heard another clap of thunder. Jenrya savoured the seconds he had Takato in his arms for every ounce they were worth. _

_Ruki had long since abandoned her music and decided to listen in on the conversation, ever since the first flash of lightning. She kept up her headphones, but turned her music off when she saw Takato dive fearfully into Jenrya's grip. While the very idea of cuteness turned her stomach, she did enjoy the sight of what was happening between those two… not to mention that it would make _unbelievably_ rich blackmail against Jenrya later on…_

**Present...**

Jenrya blushed as he recalled those events. Not only did he have the sweetest dreams of his life for _quite_ a long time after that, Ruki had him and Takato doing her dirty work for a month when they both remembered she was still in the cave, so that's even more time with him.

"The guy was freakin _straddling _you, Jen, what else does that prove?" Ruki exclaimed loudly.

Jenrya scratched his cheek. "Well, I guess it was a bit closer than you'd expect from a straight guy…" he admitted. "But in Takato's defense, I was the closest person to him at the moment, and his only other option to hug was you… do you know anyone that would hug _you_ and expect to live through it?"

Ruki groaned. "Fair point… Alright, I didn't want to have to tell you this, but I don't think I have any other option…"

**2 years ago…**

_It was the last night that the kids were spending in Okinawa, and Wataru had decided to celebrate the end of a great vacation with a drinking party. Of course, none of the kids denied the chance to down some of Takato's Grandfather's special sake – especially since they were only fifteen at the time and they couldn't drink for another three or so years. They just had to promise that no one would tell their parents about it, and they could drink all the sake they wanted, but only the sweet flavor. Kai could drink whatever he wanted though, because Wataru got him into drinking sake at a young age and they would often drink together. _

_The sake had a different effect on everyone. Hirokazu was on his feet and dancing in his underwear and singing 'Otoko Shibuki;" Kenta was laughing at him and encouraging it; Jeri was chasing Hirokazu around the room, trying to dress him by force; and Jenrya had passed out on the floor after only a few shots. Ruki, Kai and Wataru simply sat on the sidelines and watched the chaos unravel. All of their faces were flushed and had a drunken gaze._

_Takato had gotten up and went out to get some air after he started getting dizzy. He was currently standing on the balcony, leaning over the ledge to keep his balance, letting the refreshing ocean breeze blow across his face. He smiled as he looked up at the night sky. It was a full moon tonight, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen anywhere, so it shined as bright as could be, as did all the stars around it._

_As he stared into the giant white circle in the sky, he saw something strange. He knew it had to be the alcohol, but swore he could see a face starting to form in the moon. But it wasn't the man in the moon he'd been told as a kid, it was something even more unbelievable…_

"_J-Jen-kun…" Takato muttered, hiccupping in between. It's true: Takato could see Jenrya's face dead in the center of the moon. He was smiling at Takato, a gentle blush on his face. He could swear he could almost hear Jenrya's voice…_

"_Takato?"_

"_Y-Yeah… Jen-kun?" _

"_Try again, dummy, it ain't Jen." Takato flinched, sobering up enough to realize that it was Ruki's voice that spoke and not Jenrya's. He spun his head around and saw that Ruki was standing there, holding two glasses of water. She held one out to him. "Want some?"_

_Takato dizzily nodded and took a drink from the glass. "Th.. Thanks… So, wh-what are yo-you doing here? I-I thought that you'd be… recording Hirokazu dancing in there… you know, blackmail and stuff…"_

_Ruki groaned. "I was gonna, but then… he took off his underwear…" she said, shivering at the memory. "Now I'm just wait here until he passes out and pray that the sake will make the memory of Hirokazu's crotch a lost memory tomorrow morning."_

_Takato couldn't help but giggle at that. "S-Sorry, I know that probably wasn't the first thing you wanted to see…"_

_Ruki shrugged. "Eh, I'll live… but if I wake up remembering that, Hirokazu won't." This time, both kids laughed. "So, what was that about Jen?"_

_Takato smiled shyly. "O-Oh nothing, I just thought I saw Jen in the moon… and yes, even drunk, I know how crazy that sounds."_

_Ruki gave Takato a somewhat serious look. "About Jen… do you like him?"_

"_Huh? Y-Yeah, of course I like him, h-he's my best-"_

"_No, I mean, do you _like him,_ like him."_

_Takato froze on the spot. _Did_ he like Jenrya? Well, he had to admit, Jenrya was good-looking, and when he passed by Jenrya on the way out, he couldn't help but feel flustered when he noticed that, while asleep, Jenrya had slid his t-shirt up to his chest and unbuttoned his shorts. He, at the very least, found him attractive, if that was anything. _

_And he did have a lot fun with Jenrya this week; Hiking, swimming, exploring, drawing a silly mustache on Hirokazu in his sleep… Somehow, everything seemed more fun with Jenrya around. Playing digimon, doing homework, and even some thunderstorms were somewhat enjoyable, as long as he was there._

"_Well, um… I-I don't know, maybe…" Takato stammered out. "Why do you ask, Ruki?"_

_Ruki smiled… well, as best _Ruki _could. "Jen really likes you, Takato… And I'm not just saying that to screw with you, I'm completely serious. He's, like, in love with you."_

_Takato's heart skipped a beat. Jenrya – his best friend – was in love with him? Scratch that – JENRYA WAS GAY? …Well, that did explain why he was so nervous when it came to bath time, considering that it was one giant room and all the boys went in at once. Jenrya just stood in the hall and waited till everyone was done. Takato just thought that he was shy…_

"_O-Oh, really…"_

_Ruki nodded. "Yep, Jen's head-over-heels for you, goggles… I just figured I'd tell you, 'cause the idiot won't tell you himself, and I'm the only one that knows that you're bi."_

_It was true: Takato was bisexual. He did find both guys and girls attractive. He just did a really good job at hiding it… However, his hiding was no use against Ruki's gaydar and she told him she knew back in fifth grade. To this day, only Ruki knew that Takato was bi._

"_W-Well… I, um… I don't really know what I feel for Jenrya right now… I just know that I care a lot about him and I don't wanna be away from him… Maybe I do like him, more than just a friend…"_

**Present…**

Ruki took a deep breath. "After that, he just passed out on the deck and I had to carry him in and put him in his room. The next morning he was so hung-over that he forgot everything about last night… wish I was that lucky, I still can't get the image of Hirokazu's crotch outta my mind! …And that's the whole story Jen… Jen?"

Ruki sweat-dropped as she looked over at Jenrya and saw that he was in some sort of catatonic state, just sitting there, staring at her with plate-sized eyes. "Y-You told… Takato… that I love him…?" he managed to spit out.

Ruki shrugged. "Sorry, you know I'm a blabbermouth when I'm drunk. Good thing that Takato is such a lightweight and gets drunk after only a few shots, so he doesn't remember."

Jenrya sighed. He couldn't believe this… well, not that Ruki told Takato about his feelings for him – he knew Ruki had a tendency to blurt out whatever crossed her mind when she's had a few drinks, especially if it's sake. It's the fact that Takato might actually like him – or, at the very least, thinks he's attractive.

He had to stay still to process all of this. It was just… unbelievable. How is it that he never knew Takato was bi until now? Takato never told him about it, and they were supposed to be best friends… on the other hand, he kept the secret that he was gay from Takato, so the score was about even.

"So, are you gonna just sit there on your ass all day or are you gonna tell Takato how you really feel?" Ruki asked, piling pretty high on the sarcasm. Her mouth was curled into a 'You better say "yes" to the obvious option' smirk.

Jenrya smiled. He knew that Ruki would never admit it, but she liked being a good friend, no matter how much she'd deny the accusation and rip the mouth off of the person who asked. She was just that kind of person, one that will help you with your problems if she had to hang you over a cliff by your leg to do it.

After careful consideration, he finally realized that telling Takato was the only way that this problem was going to go away. He wouldn't have to make up excuses for his nosebleeds, he could be open and honest with Takato at all times, and, if he was lucky, he might get a kiss from him! …Although, he might never get to see Takato in his underwear again, but he'd be fine with that.

"Alright, I'll tell him tomorrow, at school," he said, feeling like the weight on his shoulders has been cut in half. "I know you're gonna hurt me for saying this, but… you're a good friend, Ruki, thank you."

Before Jenrya could even register what happened, Ruki had him in a headlock and drilling her fist into his head. "Oh, shut up," she muttered playfully, watching him scream in agony. She then let him go to catch his breath and rub his aching scalp. "I did my good deed of the _century_, don't make me regret it more than I already do."

Even in pain, Jenrya couldn't help but smile at Ruki. "Y-Yes, Ruki…"


	7. Chapter 7

"It's all good, Jen. You can do this. Just go up and say it. Just say: 'Takato, I love you!'" Jenrya muttered to himself, gently slapping himself across the face to psyche himself up. It was finally time for him to confess his love for Takato.

It was the beginning of first period, and Takato was sitting at his desk, playing with his Digimon cards, and Jenrya was watching him from behind the edge of the classroom door. The bluenette took one more deep breathe before he could finally walk into the room and slowly make his way to Takato's desk.

Until this day, Jenrya was terrified at the idea that he would confess to Takato and get shot down, but thanks to Ruki's talk yesterday, Jenrya was no longer afraid of that outcome. He knew that Takato was bisexual, and that he was, at the very least, attracted to him. So, even if Takato rejected him, he would take it knowing that he just wasn't meant to be with Takato.

But, on the off chance Takato did want to be with him, he was prepared. He took extra time in the shower this morning, making sure that he smelled and looked clean – much to the annoyance of his siblings – he practiced what he was going to say the night before, and for extra measure he picked up a rose on his way to school and tucked it inside of his uniform pocket. Not only was it a symbol of his love for Takato, but also, as an added bonus, the rose happened to be Takato's favourite flower.

After what seemed like forever, Jenrya finally made it to be standing in front of Takato's desk. Takato looked up from his cards and smiled at him. "Hey, Jen-kun, what's up?" Takato greeted him. "Did you need something? Everyone is going to get called down to the gym in a minute to announce who won the raffle, so you should make it fast," he explained, picking up his cards and placing them back in the deck box before placing the box in his backpack.

Jenrya nodded nervously. "Y-Yes, I do, Takato-kun…" he stuttered, feeling his knees beginning to give way. However, he wasn't going to let them. This was the moment that would decide his relationship with Takato for the rest of his life, and he was going to confess to that adorable little brunette if it killed him!

Jenrya placed his hands over the desk, partially to keep himself balanced, but mostly because his hands were now overlapping Takato's and their faces were only a few inches away. Jenrya could feel his cheeks beginning to grow red as his looked into the crimson pupils of his best friend-and-crush, but he pushed it aside. A few of the other kids in the classroom noticed Jenrya's actions and watched closely, as most of them had already guessed what he was doing, because it was pretty obvious that Jenrya loved Takato and a lot of students had been waiting for this moment.

"I-I wanted to say this for a long… long time, Takato-kun…" Jenrya said nervously, ignoring that some of the yaoi-obsessed kids in the background were watching their every move and trying not to squeal. "What I mean is… Takato, I-"

However, just as the word 'love' was about to be uttered, the principal's voice could be heard all over the school through the PA-system. _"Attention, students. Please make your way to the gym. We are ready to announce who won the raffle for the all-expense-paid dinner at Subarashii Ryorii. Again, all students make your way to the gymnasium."_

The hustle and bustle of the students stampeding out of their classrooms and towards the gymnasium had completely shattered the moment that Jenrya had spent so much time and effort preparing himself for, and quite frankly it had left him utterly shell shocked. _'YOU HAVE _GOT _TO BE KIDDING ME!'_ he screamed in his head.

Takato stood up from his desk. "Sorry, Jen-kun, we'll have to pick this up some other time. I'll save you a seat in the gym," he said, following the flood of students before him, and leaving a stunned Jenrya standing in the classroom, alone and a little depressed.

Jenrya sighed. "Of course, the one time I finally get up the courage to say I love Takato, the moment shatters…" he said in a rather annoyed voice. He quickly regained his composure and dashed out the door in hopes of catching up with Takato.

The students all made their way to the gymnasium and took their seats in the chairs provided, facing forward to see the school's principle, Mr. Morikawa, who was standing at a wooden podium in front of everyone. Jenrya and Takato found a pair of seats near their friends and sat in them, side by side. Jenrya was sitting between Takato and Ruki, Ryou was beside her, and Kenta was sitting cradled in Hirokazu's arms in the back, next to Juri.

Ruki tapped Jenrya on the shoulder, turning his head to look at her. "So, what happened with you and goggles?" she whispered. "You didn't chicken out did you?"

Jenrya shook his head. "No, I was gonna do it, but the stupid announcement cut me off before I could finish," he muttered bitterly. "I'm gonna do it now, wish me luck, Ruki."

Ruki grinned, giving him a thumbs-up. "Good luck, I'm rootin' for you."

After Ruki turned back to face forward, Jenrya spun himself so he was looking at Takato. The brunette looked a little nervous, which was understandable because he was about to be called up in front of the entire school. To be honest, Jenrya was just as nervous, but he had to get over it if he wanted to confess to Takato before the latter was called up. That way, if their feelings were mutual, Takato would be thinking of Jenrya the whole time. He couldn't stop the date at this point, but he'd be content with just that.

Jenrya placed a hand on Takato's lap, making the brunette jump slightly and face him. "Takato-kun, about what we were talking about a minute ago…"

"Can't this wait, Jen-kun?" Takato asked. "Mr. Morikawa is gonna call me up soon."

Jenrya shook his head, giving Takato a stern look. "No, Takato-kun, it can't wait. I have to tell you this now! I have to tell you that… that I love-"

"Alright, students, now that we're all here I can finally announce who the lucky winners of our raffle contest are," Mr. Morikawa announced, speaking through the microphone attached to the podium.

Jenrya felt like he could punch a wall. This was the _second_ time that Mr. Morikawa had cut his confession short and right now he was getting _really_ pissed with that guy. But, unless he wanted to be expelled from school for knocking the teeth out of the principle for simply interfering with his love life, he had to behave and just wait until after the students who won were called up. "I'll tell you after, Takato-kun…"

"Now, as I'm sure you all know, our school district has generously donated a voucher for two students to dine at the restaurant Subarashii Ryorii, and we have decided to use the ticket sales from the football game as a way to determine fairly who will go. I will call the winners up one at a time, and hand them special plastic bracelets that will show the waiters at Subarashii Ryorii that you are the winners. Let's start with the winner of the boys' draw…"

Jenrya rolled his eyes. Now, he was going to have to wait for Takato to be all giddy about going to one of the best and most expensive restaurants in town, and let Takato get all flustered about what girl he was going with before he could say he loved –

"Congratulations, Jenrya Lee."

Jenrya and Takato jumped out of their chairs, simultaneously screaming "SAY WHAT?!" at the top of their lungs. The others either gasped or simply let their jaws practically hit their laps. The group was too shocked to even notice the crowd of kids clapping for Jenrya.

"Jen-kun… did he just say… _your _name?" Takato asked, stunned by what his ears had just heard.

Jenrya nodded slowly. "Uh huh…"

"Well, Jenrya-kun, please come forward and collect your bracelet," Mr. Morikawa asked, holding up a blue-coloured plastic strap.

Jenrya shuffled through the crowd of teenagers as he made his way to the podium, all the while looking back at Takato, who looked like someone had just shot his puppy. Takato had been looking forward to winning this dinner all week, and to watch it taken away – by his best friend no less – must be pretty hard to take.

Ruki couldn't help but notice that Ryou was less shocked, and more excited by this little surprise. Some might say he was giddy – other than Ruki, of course, because she couldn't even say the word 'Giddy' without throwing up. She reached to her left and grabbed Ryou by the tie. "Alright, Akiyama, spill it! What the hell did you do?" she asked angrily.

Ryou simply smirked, waving his finger around as if he was talking to a child. "Ah, ah, ah… what do we say when we want something, Ruki-chan?"

Ruki could feel a blood vessel in her forehead pulsing with annoyance. "Tell. Me. Or. Die!" she muttered. "My 'Akiyama-is-being-an-ass' radar has been blaring all week, so tell me what you did, or, so help me, I'll castrate you with a rusty spoon!"

Ryou flinched, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. Ruki was constantly threatening to castrate him whenever she was annoyed at him, but this time she seemed especially pissed. He could even see that 'You're dead meat, Akiyama!' look in her eye, which meant she might very well kill him. "W-Well, since you asked so nicely… Let's just say that you'll find out in about a minute," he squeaked out in a high voice.

Ruki let out a short growl before she let go of Ryou's tie, causing Ryou to fall back into his chair. "Whatever this is, I'll bet this won't be good – for Jen or Takato!" she said, somewhat worriedly. Ryou gulped, suddenly fearing for his life.

Jenrya was trying to make sense of the situation both he and Takato were in. Takato was supposed to have won the boys' draw for the dinner, not him. He even got a confirmation call from the school to prove it. So the fact he had been called up instead was confusing him to no end. When he reached the podium, the principle began tying the wristband to his wrist.

"I must apologize, Jenrya-kun," Mr. Morikawa said suddenly, earning him an even more confused look from Jenrya. "I meant to call the boys' winner as well, but since you only wrote down six digits of your phone number, we couldn't call you." He pulled out a blue ticket from his jacket pocket – Jenrya's ticket – and showed it to Jenrya.

Jenrya took the ticket in his hands, sweat-dropping once he realized he forgot to put in the seventh digit. "Oh… well, that's a little embarrassing…" he muttered, blushing slightly. Then, something in Mr. Morikawa's words caught his attention, and made every ounce of color in his face begin to drain out. "Wait, what do you mean by 'as well?' Who else did you call?"

"The winner of the girl's draw, obviously, who else could it be?" Mr. Morikawa asked, a little sarcastically. "Speaking of which…" He turned around, leaning into the microphone. "I will now announce the winner of the girls' draw."

Jenrya smacked his forehead. This couldn't possibly be Takato, could it? Takato was a bit girly, but at least he has the common sense to differentiate the blue and pink tickets and what genders they represent. He wasn't so clueless that he wouldn't be able to tell that pink tickets were for-

"Congratulations, Takako Matsuda!"

And there went Jenrya's hope… and Takato's dignity…

Takato's entire face grew a vivid red as he stood up from his chair and made his way towards the principle and Jenrya, all the while listening to practically half the school laughing at him. Never in his life had he been so embarrassed since the 'girl's uniform' incident. He was barely considered a boy as it was, and with this, he may as well wear a skirt for the rest of his life.

Jenrya couldn't believe what was happening. Takato filled out a _girl's_ ticket for the raffle. He snatched the ticket from Mr. Morikawa's hand and read it over, feeling like driving a punch into the latter's head when he saw it. The principle was over sixty years old, and because of that, his eyes had mistaken the katakana symbol 'To' with the symbol 'Ko.' Even though he knew it wasn't entirely Mr. Morikawa's fault, he still felt like kicking his ass.

When Takato had made it to the front of the crowd, he looked like he was about to cry as he tried to explain the situation. "Uh, Mr. Morikawa… my name is 'Taka_to_'… not 'Taka_ko_,'" he said, holding his hand up in a soft fist near his mouth in a rather submissive pose. While Jenrya would normally find this pose irresistible and turn to mush over it, he was more focused on the fact that Takato would probably be scared for life over this.

Mr. Morikawa took back the ticket and took a closer look at it, realizing his mistake. "Oh, my bad… My apologies, Takato-san. Say… why are you wearing a boys' uniform? You are a girl aren't you?"

The crowd lost it after that. Ryou, Hirokazu and Kenta all tried not to laugh, but it proved to be challenging. The fact that even off paper, Takato was still confused for a girl was more than enough to make almost every kid in the room burst into rounds of laughter. Also, just as the volume of laughter increase, so did Ruki's rage towards Ryou. Even Juri was getting a bit angry at Ryou for this. The redhead had lifted the man up by the tie once more and glared daggers into his eyes.

"You idiot! This is what you did? You planned for Takato be humiliated in front of the entire school?!" she screamed.

Ryou turned white as a sheet, and not just from the lack of oxygen getting to his brain. "N-No! I didn't plan on Takato's ticket getting pulled, I swear!" he uttered fearfully. "I was gonna tell Takato that he signed a girls' ticket _after _the draw, and that way we could have a good laugh about it! You know, ha ha, funny? It was supposed to be a joke, I never dreamed Takato would – GAH!" he screamed, slipping his tie out of Ruki's grasp and dodging the punch that was aimed at him.

Ruki looked more pissed at Ryou than ever before. "This is your idea of a _joke?_ I can't believe you would be so stupid to even risk what little manly pride Takato has left in him, just for a joke! I've been pissed at you before, but this time takes the cake! I'm gonna freakin' kill you, Akiyama!" Fearing for his life, Ryou jumped out of his chair and started running around the gym, Ruki closely following

Aside from Ruki's death-threats, the gymnasium was loud with laughter snickering, giggling, and shouting. There were people jumping out of their seats and shouting things such as "I knew it! Takako-chan _is_ a girl!" or "Take off your pants and go put on a skirt, Takako-chan!" while everyone else in the room shouted out rounds of "Ta-Ka-Ko! Ta-Ka-Ko!"

Jenrya felt like a rock had hit the pit of his stomach as he watched Takato shed tears of sorrow and humiliation. Takato kept trying to choke out a response, but it was like his mouth had forgotten how to speak. The only thing audible that came out was "I-I'm… a guy! I'm… no-not a… a girl!" After this, he sunk to his knees and sobbed loudly, like a young child that wanted candy but their parents said 'no'. He let so many tears hit the floor that Jenrya was sure Takato might flood the gym.

He'd had enough. Jenrya was not going to take the fact that the man he loved was lying on the floor, bawling his eyes out while the rest of the gym was making fun of him. Takato didn't do anything to deserve this, and he was going to put a stop to it, no matter what.

In one fell swoop, Jenrya had managed to grab Takato by the wrist, pull him to his feet, wrap each arm around his waist and the back of his head and pulled the brunette in for a heated, impassioned kiss on the lips, stunning everyone in the room. Even Ruki stopped running after Ryou long enough to let her jaw drop slightly at the spectacle. Never, in her entire life, did Ruki expect Jenrya to be so bold as to kiss Takato in front of everyone in the entire school. She couldn't help be slightly impressed and a little bit proud of Jenrya for that little stunt. Not enough to let Ryou off the hook for causing all of this, though. And Ryou was aware of this, which was why he was trying just to stay perfectly still and not get Ruki anymore pissed than she already was.

Takato didn't know what was happening to him. One minute ago, all he wanted was to crawl in a hole and die, but the second Jenrya's lips connected with his, he felt like every little problem in the world had just disappeared. He felt so safe and secure, being held in Jenrya's firm but gentle arms. He always felt this way whenever Jenrya was close by. He loved this feeling more than anything in the world. He loved being… close to Jenrya…

After a minute, Jenrya and Takato came up for air, panting slightly as they regained the air in their lungs. Once they he had enough air to say what he was about to, Jenrya reached into his jacket and pulled out the rose, placing it gently into Takato's hands. He looked Takato in the eye, smiling. "Takato, if I don't say this now, I may never say it at all… I love you. That's right, I love you, Takato Matsuda," he said, feeling as though the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

Everyone in the gymnasium, Takato included, couldn't help but gasp. "Jen-kun…" he said, shyly, looking at the rose in his hand, inhaling the sweet scent of his favourite flower.

Without any warning, Jenrya released Takato from his arms and punched a gaping hole in the middle of Mr. Morikawa's podium, listening as the crowd let out a small shriek and nearly jumped out of their seats. "And if I _ever_ catch _anyone_ making fun of Takato, so help me, I'll send you _straight to a hospital!_ Takato Matsuda is a boy – the most wonderful, thoughtful, creative, and amazing boy I know – and anyone that says otherwise is gonna pay! I swear I'll beat the crap outta the first person that so much as makes Takato frown! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" he screamed, more angrily than ever before.

The audience was stunned; mostly by fear, but also from the sheer bravery it must have taken for Jenrya to admit his feelings for Takato and threaten to protect him in front of the entire school. No one could help but be impressed by the display.

Mr. Morikawa, trying not to wet himself out of fear, cleared his throat with a cough, and leaned into the microphone. "U-Um… I would like to recommend th-that… Takato-_kun_… goes with Jenrya-kun to Subarashii Ryorii…" he said, putting emphasis on the '-kun' to make sure not to upset Jenrya any further. "A-Are there any objections?" Not a single person made a sound, for the same reason Mr. Morikawa was so nervous: Jenrya. "Then, Takato Matsuda and Jenrya Lee are the lucky winners of our raffle. Let's give them a round of applause."

Everyone began clapping for Takato and Jenrya. Juri and the others clapped the loudest, shouting their praise at them:

"I'm so happy for you guys!" said Juri.

"Have fun you two!" said Kenta.

"I wish it was me, but I'm ok with it being you!" said Hirokazu.

Sadly enough, Juri and Kenta knew Hirokazu so well that this was pretty much what they expected him to say; a praise with a bit of envy. It wasn't a bad reaction, it was just… Hirokazu. That's the only way to describe it.

Jenrya was glad that the audience had bought his little stunt. Not only was Takato now safe, but he was glad to have finally confessed to Takato. Of course, he'd preferred the circumstances to be a little more private… but, he knew that just admitting his feelings to Takato was enough for him.

The bluenette glanced over his shoulder at Takato. The latter was smiling gratefully at him, and grasping the rose softly in his palm, holding it up against his chest. He could see the look in his eyes. It was the look that said "Thank you, Jen-kun…"

Once Mr. Morikawa announced that students should return to their classes, Jenrya pulled Takato to the side, out of hearing range from the other kids that were on their way out of the gym. Takato was thanking him over and over again for what he did, not that he could blame him.

"Jen-kun, I can't thank you enough! I can't believe you did that! Is your hand ok? You didn't hurt it did you?" Takato kept rambling on until Jenrya gripped him by both wrists, looking deep into his eyes.

"Takato, I'm fine," he stated. "And I was glad to do it. You're my best friend, Takato-kun. I'd do anything for you… anything…" He started to blush as he gazed into Takato's beautiful crimson eyes.

Takato began to blush as well. "So… um, what you said back there… did you mean it? Do you… love me?" he asked.

Jenrya looked down, shyly, shuffling his feet across the floor. "Yeah… I do. I love you, Takato-kun. I love you more than anything… Whenever I'm around you, I just want to run up and hold you in my arms, and never let you go. The look of pure innocence in your eyes makes my heart ache. And… and, I'm absolutely crazy about you, Takato-kun… So, what do you think of me?"

Takato assumed the same pose of looking down at the floor. "Well, I really don't know…" he said. "I mean, yeah, you're my best friend, Jen-kun. You're always there for me whenever I need you, you make me feel so safe and secure when you're around, and to top it off… what you just did, no one will ever be able to top what you did for me today. It'll be something I'll remember as long I live… and I don't mean just because I was nearly labeled as a girl for the rest of high school." Neither boy could help but chuckle. The situation, now that it was over, was, admittedly, pretty funny. "On the other hand… I don't know what it's like to be in love. It might just be some mixed feelings I have for you, and not love. If we did start a relationship, and I find out I don't like you, it'll probably end up like with Juri…"

Jenrya placed his hands over Takato's shoulders, drawing Takato's attention back to his face. "Takato-kun, if that happens, it won't change our friendship," he said sternly, still giving the boy he loved a warm smile. "The fact that we're best friends will _never_ change. Whether it's us being a couple or not, I'll always be your friend, and that's a promise. I'll always be here for you, Takato-kun… I love you."

Takato's cheeks grew even redder. "J-Jen-kun…"

Jenrya held out one of his hands. "So, what do you say?" he asked. "Will you let me call you 'Takato-chan'?"

Takato flinched. That was the first time he'd ever heard anyone use '-chan' in his name, and not using the word "Takako" or "Taka" before it… It felt nice to hear it being said sincerely.

Takato cleared his throat. "Only under one condition…" he said, giving Jenrya a serious look. "…Only if you let me call you 'Jen-chan'!"

Jenrya smiled so widely that he was worried his face would break in two. He wrapped both arms around Takato and pulled him in for a tight embrace. "I-It's a deal!" he stuttered. "From now on, I'll be your 'Jen-chan' and you'll be my 'Takato-chan'!"

"G-Great…" Takato said in a happy, but strained voice. Jenrya's bear hug was cutting off the flow of oxygen to his lungs. "Room… getting… darker…" he mumbled, turning a slight blue color.

Jenrya flinched, quickly letting go of Takato and allowing his friend to breathe. "S-Sorry, Takato-chan, guess I don't know my own strength."

Takato coughed a few times, but laughed right after. "That's ok… Jen-chan," he choked out.

The brunette looked lovingly into the eyes of his new lover, and the latter smiled back. The two shared one more kiss and straightened themselves out, making several yaoi fans say "Awe!" as they exited the gym.

It didn't take long for Ruki and the others to show up to congratulate them. While they praised Jenrya and Takato, they also couldn't help but poke fun at the circumstances that led up to their relationship. Kenta promised to help Takato look for a wedding dress when the time arose, Juri said she'd do his make-up, and Hirokazu promised to get him the best male stripper he could find. No one meant any harm, they were just teasing them a little. The funniest part of the conversation was when Ruki said to Jenrya that _she'd_ be his best man. That had everyone laughing like hyenas.

"Alright, everyone, let's get back to class," Juri suggested. The brunette girl couldn't help but smirk suddenly. "We can help Takato pick out a dress later, ha ha! I'm sorry, Takato, but this is just too much not to make fun of, even for me!"

Takato laughed back, though that didn't hide his reddening face and awkward. "I-It's fine, Juri. I'd probably be making jokes at myself, too. See you guys at lunch." Juri, Hirokazu and Kenta left everyone else and headed to class, telling a few discreet jokes about Takato on the way.

Ryou decided to see if his life was up and turned to Ruki. "So… Ruki-_sama_…" he said nervously, hoping the '-sama' would help soften her up, even just a bit. "Jen and Takato seem happy, and with Jen's warning I doubt anyone will mess with Takato, so…"

Ruki smirked. "Don't think I'm letting you off the hook so easily, Akiyama."

Ryou sighed in defeat. "Can you at least give me a day to make out my will before you murder me?" he begged. "Or better yet, let me get someone drunk enough to carry my child? At least my genes will live on that way…"

Ruki tapped her foot, thinking about how she could milk Ryou for all he was worth and get revenge for his little joke all in one. Suddenly, the perfect idea came to her. "Tell you what, Akiyama: I'll let you live – and let you keep the opportunity to have children – if you treat me to dinner at Subarashii Ryorii."

Ryou did a double-take, trying to make sure he heard Ruki correctly. "D-Did… Did you just ask me on a date?"

Ruki's smirk turned into a vicious glare, clenching her hand into a fist. "Just for that, you're buying me dessert, too. You can pay with your money or with your life, take it or leave it."

Ryou flinched. "Th-The first one! Dinner and dessert it is! My treat!"

Ruki regained her smirk and headed off to class. "Then we'll both meet at Subarashii Ryorii on the same night as Jen and Goggles. Make sure you're wallet's stuffed, because by the end of dessert, I'll be, too. Later, Dumbass."

Ryou watched Ruki walking away, trying to process the fact that Ruki had, for all intents and purposes, asked him on a date. "I… I can't believe I have a date… with Ruki," he muttered. "I figured she'd kill me, take my wallet, and go by herself, but no…" He couldn't help but smile a little. "Maybe this means Ruki likes me more than I thought…"

Jenrya pulled his cellphone out from his pocket and began tapping at the screen. "Don't be so sure, Ryou-kun. I'm pretty sure she's just dragging you there to see the look on your face when you see the menu…" he stated. He held the screen of his cellphone up to Ryou's face, which had an online version of Subarashii Ryorii's menu, as well as the prices.

One look at the screen and Ryou felt like his wallet had just had a heart attack. "Holy shit! I'll be broke before the salad even gets to the table! …Oh man, 12,000 yen for a freakin' lobster?! Ruki loves lobster! She'll probably order every lobster they have just to make me broke!" The older brunette sunk to his knees in sadness, threatening to let more tears fall from his eyes than Takato did earlier. "DAMN YOU, SUBARASHII RYORII AND YOUR FREAKISHLY HIGH PRICES!" he screamed, continuing to flood the gymnasium with his tears. Takato and Jenrya quickly made their way back to class – holding hands all the while – leaving the crying mess, formerly known as Ryou Akiyama, behind.


End file.
